Valve



Feb. 16, 1943. e R. w. JOHNSON 2,311,110

" VALVE Filed Dec. 9, 1940 J7 Ja f ArroRNEY Amay travel.

Patented Feb. 16, 1943 ,UNITED STATES IPfrENT oFFlcE VALVE Roy W. Johnson, Milwaukee; Wis.

Application December 9, 1940, Serial No. 369,267

.2 Claims. (Cl. 137-153) This invention relates in general to valves and particularly to valves of the type in which the valve is seated or closed under heavy pressure and wherein the valve proper is constituted of elastic material, such as neoprene, synthetic rubber, rubber, or other similar material and is subjected in use to the action of oil, refrigerant, or other fluids which tend, along with the pressurey to dist`ort the valve and impair its capacity to function eiciently and especially to shut off the flow completely when the valve is closed.

Valves of this character are employed in the influence of the heavy pressure by which the valve is closed, and under the influence of oil and of the refrigerant, which envelops the same, the valve members proper, constituted as they usually are of neoprene, rubber, or some similar material, frequently swell or distort to such an extent that the valve will not shut off. In this use the problem is aggravated by the fact that a diaphragm is frequently employed as the instrumentality to close the valve, and the requirement is such that the diaphragm has a limited amount of travel. When the valve is distorted, the diaphragm, due to its limited travel or throw, becomes ineffective to close the valve.

In carrying out the present invention the valve is constituted of a valve stem operatively interconnected in any suitable way with the diaphragm, and is provided at its opposite end with a chambered or socketed head in which the valve proper oats in a controlled and limited fashion but to such an extent as to accommodate anyV engaging surface of the valve seat so that such surface is engaged only by the valve proper. The flanged end of the chambered head of the valve is, however, engageable with a rigid portion of the valve which may be part of the structure that constitutes the seat or part of the support therefor, and whichfunctions as a stop to limit the extent to which the valve as a whole Between a wall of the chamber and the valve proper a spring is interposed and biases the valve into engagement with its seat when the head of the valve is moved to valveclosing position. The force which this valve spring exerts-is independent of the force impressed on the valve by the diaphragm and may be made sufficiently light to accomplishthis purpose Without distorting the valve or its seat.

Other objects andadvantages reside in certain novel features of the construction, arrangement, and combination of parts which will be hereinafter more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, and in which:

Figure 1 is a view in central, vertical, longitudinal cross section showing the valve embodying the present invention and incorporated in a suction pressure-regulating valve; and

Figures 2 and 3 are fragmentary sectional views illustrating Amodifications of structural variants of the valve shown in Figure 1. x

Referring to the drawing, the numeral 5 designates the body of the valve. Integral with the body of the valve is an inlet fitting 6 which is externally threaded to adapt it to be connected between the fiange of the fitting 8 and the valve body 5, hermetically seals the connection between these parts. The outlet fitting 8 is also externally threaded to adapt it to be connected to the suction side of the compressor (not shown).

The upperend of the outlet fitting 8 is provided with two counter-bores II and I2, the counter-bore II being adapted to have a ,valve seat I3 fitted therein and secured thereto, and the counter-bore I2 accommodating the head of the valve, the head being designated generally at I4 and the valve being designated as a whole by the reference character V. The valve V is made up of a Valve stem I5 having its lower end provided With a flange I6. A sleeve I1 has one end spun over or otherwise suitably secured to the flange I6 and has its lower end provided with an inturned annular flange I8. The flange I 6 of the valve V and the sleeve I'I provide the head of the valve, the flange sleeve, and the flange I6, providing a socket or chamber I9 in the head of the valve. In this. chamber I9 a disc valve 20 of neoprene, synthetic rubber,

rubber composition, or other similar or suitable material, is fioatably mounted, these parts being dimensioned and proportioned so that there is posed between the top side of the valve disc 22' and the spring abutment 25 provided therefor in the valve stem, the lower end of the spring surrounding and being centered by the boss or protuberance 22. In order that the pressure may be active on the valve proper to tend to close the same, the valve stem I 5 is provided with a transverse opening 26 intersected by a short axial opening 21 which leads into the valve' chamber. The flange I8 of the sleeve I1 surrounds or clears the active face of the valve seat but is engageable with stop structure 29 which may be constituted by a portion of the valve seat or by a portion of the outlet fitting 8, or by both. When the flange I8 engages thisv stop structure the movement of the Valve as a whole toward the valve seat is positively stopped, but the valve disc 20 is still free to move under the action of its own spring.

The valve stem may be operatively interrelated in any suitable way with the thermostat or diaphragm whichA is provided to control its action. Only one Way is illustrated in the drawing but this is for purposes of illustration only. In the construction illustrated the stem I5 of the valve is slidably fitted in a tubular valve guide 3l. The lower end of the valve guide 3I is enlarged and flanged as at 32, and the enlarged portion thereof has circumferential openings, as at 33, to provide for communication between the valve chamber 'I and the counter-bore space I2 which accommodates the head of the valve. The underside of the flange of the enlarged end 32 of the valve guide is engaged between the upper end of the outlet fitting 8 and the lower ring 34 of a strainer, designated generally as at 35. The

upper ring 36 of the strainer engages an inwardly directed shoulder 31 integrally formed with the valve body at the upper end of the Valve chamber 1. The reticulated body portion of the strainer is suitably connected to the rings 34 and 36.

A coil spring 4I] encircles the valve guide 3| and has its lower end abutting the enlarged portion 32 thereof and its upper end abutting a flanged washer 4I secured by a nut 42 and lock washer 43 to the.upper end of the valve stem. The spring 40 is under compression and presses the upper end of the valve stern I5 against the lower section or member 44 of a pressure pad, designated generally at 45, and suitably fixed to the central portion of a diaphragm 41, whereby to cause the valve stem I5 and its head I4 to follow and be controlled by the diaphragm.

An adjusting knob, designated generally at 52', is provided and includes a cap 53. An externally threaded sleeve 54 is combined with the cap 53 and has its lower end open and its upper end closed. The upper closed end of the `sleeve 54 ts against the under side of the top of the cap i,

and is rigidly interconnected therewith by virtue of provision .of dowel pins 55 which may be formed integrally with the under side of the cap and which will project into the openings provided therefor in the upper end of the sleeve 46. Centrally the upper closed end of the sleeve is formed with an internally threaded bushing 56. A screw 51 has its head engaged with the top of the cap and has its threads interengaged with the bushing 56. The external threads of the sleeve 54 are interthreaded with the internal The periphery of the diaphragm 41lis clamped between the upwardly inclined peripheral portion of a flange 48 integral with the upperend of the valve body I5 and a downwardly and inwardly Idirected peripheral portion 49 of a. 'diaphragm or casing member 50. The portion 49 of the diaphragm casing member 50 is spun .or rolled into secure mechanical engagement and hermetic sealing relationship with the periphery of the flange 48. The body of the casing 50 is provided with a vertical cylindrical or tubular extension 5I which is internally threaded.

threads of the extension 5I of the diaphragm casing. A spring 58 is interposed between the upper member of the `diaphragm pressure pad 45 and the under side of the closed upper end of the sleeve. By-turning the knob the compression of the spring 58 may be varied.

The other details of the suction pressure regulating valve per se shown in the drawing form no 'part of the present invention and are fullyv disclosed and claimed in the application of Ferd F. Heiser, filed July 22, 1940, Serial No. 346,725, for Suction pressure-.regulating valves," and assigned to the Automatic Products Company, of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with which applicant is associated. v

The form of the invention shown in Figure 2 is identical with that described except in respect of the construction of the valve disc proper. As in the other embodiment of the invention, this disc, designated at 60, is of neoprene, rubber, or the like, and it has a forwardly directed centered boss or protuberance 6I, but this metallic reinforcing washer, designated at 62, is cupped so as to overlie not only the top surface of the disc but also of the boss or protuberance.

In the form of the invention shown in Figure 3 the structure of the valve is further modified. As there'shown, the disc is designated at 63 and has an upwardly directed boss or protuberance 64, but the valve disc, designated at 65, and which is perforated, is moulded in the body of the disc.

While I have shown and described several constructions in which the invention may be advantageously embodied, it is to be understood that the. constructions shown have been selected merely for the purpose-of illustration or example, and that various changes in the size, shape, and arrangement of the parts may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

I claim:

1. A control valve comprising a valve body having a chamber, an inlet port to said chamber, an outlet port for said chamber, an upwardly facing valve seat in said outlet port, a valve positioned in said chamber, said valve including a valve stem having a chambered head at one end,- a spring on said stem for urging said valve in one direction, a valve disc loosely mounted in said chambered head and having a flat face engageable with said upwardly facing valve seat, a spring within said chambered head urging saiddisc toward said seat, a passageway extending from the exterior of said stem to the interior of said chambered head to establish constant communication between said inlet port and the surface of said disc opposite said flat face, and a pressure operated diaphragm associated with said stem for operating said valve.

a valve comprising a disc of soft material having a fiat face engageable with said upwardly facing valve seat, said disc having a boss on the side opposite said ilatface, a metal washer surrounding said boss to stiffen said disc, said disc being loosely mounted in said chambered head, a spring within said chambered head having one end surrounding said boss and urging said disc toward said seat, a passageway extendngirom the exterior of said stem to the interior of said chambered head to establish constant communication between said' inlet port and the surface of said disc opposite said flat face, and a pressure operated diaphragm 10 associated with said stem for operating said valve.

ROY W. JOHNSON. 

